They're afraid the American people are actually going to like it

Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, R-Calif., joins other Republican House members as they call on Senate Democrats to "come back to work" on the Senate steps of the U.S. Capitol Sunday, Sept. 29, 2013. • AP Photo/Cliff Owen

The GOP wants to shut down the government to stop Obamacare. They tried to stop it in 2010, but couldn't win the Senate. They tried again in 2012, and were very clear about their intentions: Vote for us and we will kill Obamacare. The people spoke just as clear and re-elected Obama... you know the guy who Obamacare is named for.

I spent a lot of time in 2012 talking about polls, sitting across from right-leaning pundits. They frequently reminded me that the only poll that counts is the one on Election Day. That's absolutely correct.

Remember Election Day eleven months ago? I do, I was on the air till 2 a.m., even though it was clear to me at 7 pm that the president won. Maybe Republicans were out of town on Jan. 20 this year when we swore-in twice-elected President Barack Obama. Too bad for them - Beyonce was great and so was Sen. Chuck Schumer (N.Y.), chairman of the congressional Inaugural committee.

Will someone remind Republicans that they're supposed to be the loyal minority, not behave like minors? The GOP needs to chillax or they will go the way of the Whigs. They lost badly last year, and for the past 11 months they and their spin machines have been lying to the American people about Obamacare. Obama himself has under-responded to their lies, probably because it is getting harder and harder to take them seriously.

It has become very clear that the Republicans' obsession with stopping Obamacare is all about people liking it. If they really believed it's going to suck so bad, let it run for a year, and cowards in my party will run to kill it themselves if it threatens their continued existence.

Problem is, it's not bad, and they know it. After all it was their idea. States like New York and California that have embraced the reforms are showing significant decreases in premiums. And Republican governors who have sworn to resist setting up their own exchanges are starting to panic. I predict by year's end all but the craziest GOP governors will give in and set up exchanges. Not because they want to, but rather because their constituents will demand it.

I would be remiss if I didn't mention Ted Cruz and his demagoguery. Ted's a smart guy. Smart enough to know that when he stands for re-election in 2018 Texas will be lost to Republicans. He knows his time is short. He also knows that Rush Limbaugh usually signs three-year contracts and if the pattern continues he will be finishing one a couple of years later, around 2020. He's got about five years to audition to be Rush's replacement, and he's making the most of it.

Unfortunately we all have to watch his amateurish performance. Someone tell Ted that Rush is an entertainer and he's an Ivy League-educated U.S. senator - and it's time to start acting like it.

Christopher Hahn is a highly sought-after progressive pundit, political consultant and attorney based in New York. He is a veteran of over 1,000 national television appearances on a variety of political and public policy topics. Christopher's skill in dealing with public policy issues was honed during five years he served as a senior aide to Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), and as chief deputy county executive for Nassau County, N.Y. Follow him on Twitter @christopherhahn.

First, the Democrats said Obamacare will only add $0.9T to the deficit over 10 years - In reality, Obamacare is currently at $1.8T over 10 years and growing. They instructed the CBO to consider 2011 as the start date for Obamacare. It's 2013 and Obamacare will not begin in earnest until 2014. This effectively hides the actual cost from Americans. Now why would they intentionally obfuscate?

Second, they promised we could keep our coverage if we liked it. Many insurance carriers are ceasing their programs. Other employers of the poor are reducing employee hours so they don't have to cover them.

Do you think we should go to a Democratic "Consultant" to find the truth anymore?

ACA has been such a battlefield even before implemented, while the 'Credit Card Act' went quietly into law (including a 'rider' that also allows firearms in National Parks).

While the ACA may not be perfect, only time will time will tell whether the effect will be beneficial. I don't see the abolition by the repeal of the law early in the game prudent. I would consider amendments to it to improve it however. My concern is that like many other entitlement programs, abuses will be figured out and used. And I am totally against abuses of any and all federal and state programs for nefarious intent. I support rigid enforcement to end abuse, thereby eliminating waste.

Going on that, I remain skeptic of either party to promote or deride this ACA at this early stage. At this point in time I especially find that employers cutting hours in order to avoid providing for their employee assets maligned. Which does not cast a good light on them or the Republican Party. Further, I fault the party with the single -mindedness of stating that their single primary goal is to repeal the ACA and using gridlock on many other beneficial legislation as a negotiating hostage. I'm not sure who the ultimate winners are, but in this case both parties are making the people as the losers.

The ACA after implementation and application will either kill itself or establish itself in population support, I do believe that. Woe to the politicians who are unwilling to let it get to that level, preferring to dictate to the people what is good for us or not. Is it about the ACA or is it about manipulation of the masses... us?

Obamacare is what's been a lie since it was forced down our throats! No amount of brainwashing or saying otherwise will change that! Obama may have gotten re-elected but you lost the house because of it, and on the promise to repeal it! Hopefully the people will be smart enough to take the senate from you as well all things considered including Obamacare!

The problem is, the recent crop of voters that were raised on dumbed down liberal PubEd/Indoctrination, believing what govt tells them. Common sense would dictate, that efficiency and cost effectiveness has NEVER come from govt., quite the opposite. The UK socialized care system (NHS) proves that -- Its coming apart like a cheap suit, as illustrated in my previous post. Not to mention the people that are dying because of the gross inefficiency and neglect that derives from such a derelict system.

Furthermore, the majority of Americans were against it at the beginning, as they are now. This administration ignored the folks completely and shoved it down are throats when they controlled both houses. This is not how a Constitutional Republic works. Its the govt. who answers to the folks, not the other way around! Wise Up!

@AlexMIA -- I'm afraid you are not going to be pleasantly surprised in the next elections, regarding the Repugs/TeaPods. If what happens October 1 is any indication of what's in store for the Republicans, I believe the Democrats will be more than able to clean up the messes the Repugs/TeaPods have left for the last 13 years... in fact, I guarantee it! Abortion, contraception, and same-sex marriage will be the LEAST of your worries!

He has as much, if not more credibility than any of the FNC talking heads, Limbaugh, Ole Ted Cruz, and every other right wing nut that people like you get your news from. You simply just don't like what he's saying because it contradicts the false narrative that was spoon fed to you, and you bought hook, line, and sinker.

@Bleeding_Blue Interesting, very interesting considering you are repeating the bullet points fed to you, some of those spoon fed in this very article. Are you capable of independent thought or just able to repeat what other democrats have already said?

“So let me begin by saying this: I know that there are millions of Americans who are content with their health care coverage - they like their plan and they value their relationship with their doctor. And that means that no matter how we reform health care, we will keep this promise: If you like your doctor, you will be able to keep your doctor. Period. If you like your health care plan, you will be able to keep your health care plan. Period. No one will take it away. No matter what.”

@AceLuby1 "If you like your healthcare plan, you'll be able to keep your healthcare plan. Period. No one will take it away. No matter what." The CBO reports that by 2022, ACA will cause 7 MILLION Americans to lose their employer-based health insurance.2 "Under my plan, no family making less than $250,000 a year will see any form of tax increase." There are numerous ACA taxes, hidden and not-so-hidden, that hit the middle class. In addition to the notorious "mandate tax," middle-class Americans will get hit by taxes levied on businesses that will get passed through to consumers, particularly the 2.4% tax that covers any medical device that cost $100 or more. 3 "I will not sign a plan that adds one dime to our deficits - either now or in the future." The CBO RAISED its estimate on what Obamacare will cost over the next decade, from $814 billion to $1.047 trillion. 4 Obamacare will "cut the cost of a typical family's premium by up to $2,500 a year." On Jan. 30 the IRS released new regulations regarding Obamacare - remember that the IRS is in charge of penalizing you should you fail to purchase the mandated insurance - that included cost estimates for the plans the government will offer. For a family of four, the cheapest plan - dubbed Bronze in Obamacare-speak - will cost $20,000 a year in 2016. That's an increase of more than $4,000 from the average of $15,745 such families paid in 2012.

@JustTheFacts -- You and VCP need to learn the correct usage of the words, their and they're. Your comments simply have a most difficult time as it is to make any sense, without muddying the grammatical waters any more. But it is humorous, I'll grant you. Just a heads up, okay?

I live in New York, I don't see my health insurance premiums going down. In fact they're going up! So Republicans are afraid people will like Obamacare? Gimme a break! The best thing the Republicans could have done was vote 30-something times to repeal or defund this monstrosity. This way the Progressives that shoved this thing down our throats own this entirely. All of us know the Progressives will claim Obamacare would have worked like a charm if it wasn't for the Republicans. Let's implement all of Obamacare now so people can see it's detrimental impact. It took more than a decade to end Prohibition (another genius Progressive idea) so lets get started.

@AceLuby I know they've been going up for 30 years every year and you know they've been going up for 30 years. What gets me going is this clown blatantly lying and telling us that health insurance rates will decrease once we implement his magic plan. He was supposed to prevent the oceans from rising too.

hmmm, Politicians lie? The GOP has been in desperation mode for the past 5 years, the moment they lost to a black outsider who shares a name with a terrorist, no less. They have such huge butt-hurt they got outwitted by him they cant stand it. They hate they will be known as the GOP who let a black man into the WHITE house on their watch. They have been consistently outed since day-one of Obama's terms, and still continue to shoot themselves in the foot. So bad is their approach, I cant hep but feel they want it this way, keeps the Koch brothers money flowing to their party, as well as lobbying money which has NEVER been higher. An agreement with either the pres or the dems would seriously abate that influx of special interest cash. Palin? You kidding me? Romney? A professed elitist mormon? Getting caught on tape admitting their #1 goal is to vote against EVERYTHING Obama tries to propose? Its win-win for all politicians these days.

They know this is the road to single payer, the health insurance companies have spent too much money trying to defeat ACA. Maybe had they just covered a few more treatments and killed a few less people they wouldn't be next in line for a haircut.

Well thought out and reasoned statement. Unfortunately most americans are not particularly literate and prefer their opinions handed to them in small easily digested sound bites from talk radio. I remember traveling through the midwest in the late 1960's. A group of seniors, at a restaurant, were gathered around a radio listening to H.L.Hunt fulminate against godless communists. The bobble heads nodded in agreement with every statement. Nothing has changed amongst the untermensches in nearly half a century.

Ernest, let's give these republicans/teapods a clearer understanding of what's going to happen to the future of Congress by quoting from the latest Jon Stewart show:

Mitch McConnell:“The President’s more than willing to negotiate with Iranians, I don’t know why he wouldn’t be willing to negotiate with us.”

Jon Stewart:“If it turns out that President Barack Obama can make a deal with the most intransigent, hard-lined, unreasonable totalitarian mullahs in the world, but not the Republicans, maybe he’s not the problem.”

More extensive coverage is good. Higher cost is bad. Thing, is though, the cost was rising at 10% per year before the law passed. It remains to be seen whether or not Obamacare reduces that rate of increase in general. One thing for sure though, more people will be covered and that's half the battle.

It is named the Affordable Care Act, however it is anything but. My coverage cost is increasing 340%, my deductible is going up, as is my co-pay and my annual out of pocket expense. I do have a broader range of coverage now. I now have regular mammograms, birth control devices, and pap smears included in my coverage along with a host of other treatment options that are of no use to me since I am a male over 55.

I'm finding the same problems with ACA. It is expensive and covers everything I don't need for any reason. Shut it down or change it to make it fit the insurance I actually need rather than all the bells and whistles that benefit only certain persons.

@AceLuby -- Shoot! I'm 69 and my health insurance has consistently risen for the past 48 years! Now I'm on Medicare and a secondary health insurance plan for a mere $48/year! I'm planning on a VERY nice cruise and travel on the younger, working peoples' pay in! And I thank you so very much!

I meant to hit somewhat. I'm all for allowing The Patient Protection & Affordable Care Act to be implemented to see if it works. My big problem is that democrats in the Senate excluded themselves from it and some democrats in the house voted against it. If democrats are so sure this will work, they should lead by example. Vote again to include themselves in the PP ACA! That they exempted themselves sends out a message much louder than their speeches concerning the PP ACA. They should reverse this and show Americans by example that they believe in this law!

Since ALL Congresspersons, the President, AND the SCOTUS are employed by the government, their health insurance is paid for... no need for ACA for them. The mere fact that they have this healthcare insurance for life makes the exemptions issue moot, thank you!

Too much Tea in the Republicans party mix. Their to worried about losing their job's to do anything but give in to what the minority in their party wants. Gutless, cowardly, childish, out of touch and just plain nuts are the words used to sum up the Republican Party these days. Too worried about their pockets to worry about the American people anymore.

@JMWinPR I'm getting it through my work but my work is in healthcare. I do however know a lot of people that are getting their health insurance through the ACA. Many of them are people who either fall through the cracks of our current system or simply don't make enough to pay for health insurance. So for the first time they will be able to have some preventative care that so many if our citizens don't get but need very badly.

It's obvious to anyone taking the time to look past the rhetoric. They want it delayed a year, if they can't stop it, why? Because the elections of 2014. If Obamacare was going to be the disaster they've claimed, they would let it roll out as soon as possible, and then ride that failure to taking the house in 2014, and the WH in 2016. But they know it's not going to be the doom and gloom they've predicted, and once the American people see all the BS for what it was, they'll lose big in 2014.

Do you really not know? ALL Federal government employees' health insurance is paid by the government! THEREFORE... they have no need of the ACA. Whether they are exempt or not is a dead issue. AND they are covered for life. Sooooo....